Field of Invention
This application pertains to a personal video recorder (PVR) coupled to one or more rendering devices and method of operating the same for receiving, processing, and presenting content responsive to the capabilities and limitations of the rendering device, as well as user preferences, and other criteria.
Description of the Prior Art
Presently, content of various kinds can be received over various channels and presented in various formats. One problem that still persists in this field pertains to the fact that, in some instances, content receivers and other similar devices are unable to process content because of their specific capabilities and limitations. That is, certain content receivers are suited to process only certain types of content, and can either present or render other types of content very poorly, or cannot present them at all. For example, a user may have as a receiver a relatively inexpensive desktop computer with a simple, low definition (e.g., 600×800 pixels) black-and-white monitor and no speakers. This receiver does not have the capability of receiving or playing a program comprising HD video and 6-channel sound.
Another user may have a receiver such as a PDA incorporated into a wristwatch that has the capability of receiving only text messages. This type of receiver device cannot, by itself, process content with non-textual materials, such as still or moving images, or even sounds.
In other instances, a user may have a device capable of receiving various types of content but at least in some instances, he may be interested receiving only content having a certain format and not others. For example, a user of a cellular telephone may be interested in receiving text messages while attending a meeting, even though the cellular telephone may have the capability of receiving audio programs, or even still or moving images. Similarly, a visually impaired user may require that visual and/or textual content be presented as audio signals. Similarly, the driver of an automobile may want to receive at times content only in the form of audio. At other times, other passengers within the same vehicle may want to get content of other kinds of as well.
Another problem is that devices are often unable to determine user preferences. In some situations, the user himself may prefer to receive, store, or play only certain types of content and not others. For example, a user may only be interested in news segments that relate to a certain topic, such as gardening, but is unable to have player devices automatically extract and present only those segments of interest in a larger video program. In another example, similar to e-mail filtering, a user may wish to establish different rules for playing content, such as “view ASAP” or “route content X to folder Y for later examination and possible playback”, and the like.
Yet another problem is that consumer devices must typically be targeted at rather low price points, and as such may not incorporate powerful processing capabilities. In these and other cases, and for other reasons such as providing better quality of service and reducing the traffic in content delivery networks, it may be desirable to shift the burden of content filtering to devices within the delivery networks themselves.
For example, so-called “content smart switches”, such as the Cisco CSS 11000 series, can access information deep in TCP and HTTP packet headers, including, for example, the complete URL and “mobile” cookies that change location within the header between content requests, to select the best site and server to fulfill customer information requests.